On Monday, the Mauritanian Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, who is also the government spokesperson, Houssein Ould Meddou, visited the Polisario pavilion during an exhibition dedicated to Hassani culture, held in Algiers from June 21 to 23. Accompanied by Khatri Adouh, the Polisario representative in Algiers, the minister engaged in discussions with Sahrawi exhibitors. This official visit comes just days after Houssein Ould Meddou defended the Mauritanian army's decision to close the Lebriga region. «This measure has no political agenda and does not target any particular party. It is part of the State's efforts to protect its sovereignty», he clarified last week in statements to the press. As a reminder, the Mauritanian government had withdrawn its sponsorship of a Hassani poetry festival scheduled for August 2024 in the Mauritanian town of Aoujeft, located in the Adrar region. This decision followed the invitation of a Polisario delegation to participate in the event, prompting the executive to take action.
